Updated July 8, 2016, at 10:27 a.m. with comments from the Vermont State Police.

The Burlington Police Department is temporarily suspending solo officer patrols in response to the Thursday night attack on Dallas police that killed five officers and wounded seven.

Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said he is concerned about the “prospect of copycat attacks” on local police.

Dallas police said three suspects are in custody and one is dead after police were targeted by sniper fire while monitoring a nonviolent protest of police killings of black men across the country.



“America is protected by a patchwork of 18,000 police agencies, and a repeat incident in one of them is not unfathomable,” del Pozo said.

Burlington police will pair up for patrols, which del Pozo said could delay response times to some non-urgent calls.

“Burlington police are friends, neighbors and Vermonters,” del Pozo said. “Their work conditions are adjusted as the hazards they face change, as in any profession. Double patrols are safer for officers and are in fact the standard in many urban agencies.”

In a prepared statement released Friday morning, Vermont State Police said they will remain on guard but did not announce any new procedures.

“The Vermont State Police will continue to remain vigilant and assess any threat that would jeopardize the safety of our troopers or the communities we serve,” Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn and Col. Matthew Birmingham said in the joint statement. “Our members are among the most highly trained and dedicated law enforcement officers in the nation and will continue to serve all Vermonters with the highest standards of professionalism and respect.”